It was an absolute privilege and honour to represent the town of Rush, the wider Rush / Lusk Ward and previously the Balbriggan Ward on Fingal County Council over the last ten years. I would like to thank the residents and voters for the engagement and support during my period as a public representative. I would in particular like to thank my family, team of canvassers and helpers for their support both throughout the years while on the Council, as well as with the recent election campaign which would have started on the Dublin/Meath border a few months ago.

I would like to take the opportunity to wish the recently elected Rush / Lusk Ward Councillors Robert O Donoghue, Corina Johnston, Cathal Boland, Eoghan Dockrell and Paul Mulville all the best as they take up their new positions and in particular the new first time elected Councillors.

Getting elected and failing to get re-elected are just different sides of the same coin in some respects in politics and you have to take the good days with the bad.

I am currently involved in multiple community organisations in and around the town of Rush, it is my intention to remain involved, with the intention of contesting future elections as they arise. In the meantime, I will be monitoring what I would call the several ‘work in progress’ projects which I had been working on in the background, an example of which would be the purchase by Fingal County Council of the 28-acre site as a community resource in Knockdromin House adjacent to the Rush / Lusk train station.
I would also like to take the opportunity to express my commiserations to my hard-working colleague Adrian Henchy current Mayor of Fingal County Council and wish him and his family all the best going forward.

Lusk Community First Responders (Lusk CFR) are delighted to have gone live with the National Ambulance Service on the 12th June. Our volunteers are trained to respond swiftly to specific emergency calls and are notified by the National Ambulance Service at the same time as an ambulance is dispatched, so we can reach potential life-threatening situations in the crucial minutes before the ambulance crew arrives. Lusk CFR can provide medical assistance in the community within minutes of a 999/112 call, offering a lifeline to those in distress while the ambulance is on the way.

Following several months of training and preparation, our volunteers have been working with the National Ambulance Service to meet all the requirements set out for the nationwide Community First Responder scheme.

Did you know that the cost of purchasing/maintaining equipment and all running costs are the responsibility of our scheme?

Please help us to grow by donating to Lusk CFR. Or perhaps you’d like to sponsor the placement of public access Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) within our community. Your support can make a significant impact in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community, allowing ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

In addition to the Community First Responder scheme, Lusk CFR also want to work with the community to increase access to AEDs in Lusk and surrounding areas.

Lusk currently has 3 public access AEDs available 24/7, 365 a year at: the Cottage Community Centre; Lusk Soccer Club and Centra in Dun Emer.

Round Towers GAA club also have access to an AED when the club is open. We can assist other clubs and businesses on how to register their AEDs with the National Ambulance Service. Please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’d be happy to help.

Lusk CFR is actively seeking volunteers, and no prior medical experience or training is necessary, as continuous training will be offered to all recruits.

You can donate securely by visiting our website www.luskcfr.ie or contact us directly at info@luskcfr.ie. You can also donate via our QR Code.

The family of the late George (Georgie Bentley) who died on July 21st, 2023 would like to acknowledge the support of the local community for their support and kindness throughout the year.

Born in Lusk in September 1943, George was known to many for his love of fishing and growth of new potatoes which decorated many a plate in Lusk and Rush and surrounding areas and locals will always remember his big smile.

The 1st anniversary of the late Mr Bentley will take place on Saturday 20th July in St MacCulins Church at 19:30 and all are welcome to attend.

The volunteers of the Donabate Meals on Wheels group enjoyed a very pleasant dinner in Pasta Castellos restaurant in Donabate on Tuesday 28th May. The dinner was very generously sponsored by Thomas Ennis Retail Ltd - many thanks from all of us, it was really appreciated.

The Meals on Wheels service is a vital component of care services that enable people to continue to live in their homes and remain part of their community for longer. It can also be of significant help for people who have been ill, and maybe been in hospital, to aid them in their convalescence. If you would be interested in volunteering and can spare a couple of hours once a week, fortnight or month please contact Deborah on 086-8276555

If you have not already booked a space on one of the Summer Camps in August please check them out NOW!

Designer Minds - is coming to Donabate for the first time. Their camps specialise in following the STEAM Program and are highly regarded - they are educational & enjoyable.We also have the return of the very successful and popular Lego Camp.

Booking for camps through the websites designerminds.ie & bricks4kidz.ie

We have an additional NEW afternoon camp in “Art” running for a week in August.

For further details on the NEW Art Camp or If you wish to enquire about running an afternoon camp in August for one week (there is one slot available) please contact the Parish Office immediately!

There is also a scheduled maintenance week in August where for eg the floor is sanded & revarnished to keep the hall in tip top order.

Some activities wind up for the summer and some keep going eg the Senior Citizens are there every Wednesday & Friday morning except when camps and maintenance are taking place.

The Parish Hall Programme runs from 1st September - 31st August. Expressions of interest in using the Parish Hall take place in late May & early June - based on this information a Programme is put together to satisfy requests as best as possible. A balance of weekly activities & special events are timetabled - many are of a cultural & creative nature and some casual recreation.

So weekly activities for this year so far include eg Senior Citizens, Cards, Bridge, Pilates, Drama, Irish Dancing, Leithinis Slow Sessions and Councillors Clinics! This year we hope to add in the NEW Music Makers on some Friday nights also!

Special events & blocked events also taking place are the Men’s Shed - “Gerry & the Plonkers” for one Wednesday 12- 2pm in October, November & December. It is hoped that a Photography & Art exhibition will take place in November followed by the Drama Production. Then the Annual Christmas Craft Fair! At the end of January it is hoped to have more “Tradfest Fingal” coming to the Parish Hall and in May yet another great Drama Production.

If you have any queries re the Parish Hall and or wish to check availability please contact the Parish Office 9 30am - 12 30pm on 01 8434574

Saturday 25th May dawned clear and bright as a group from Peninsula Pacers set off from Donabate to do the Sandymount to Poolbeg walk. Sandymount village was looking pretty and bustling as we popped into Crudos for some delicious coffee and croissants to fortify us for the 11.4km walk.

En route a large information board enlightened us to the history of the South Wall, originally known as ‘The Piles’, and as we walked along it we marvelled at the construction of this wall by manual labour, no heavy machinery back then ! It was the longest seawall in the world when it was completed in 1731, and is still one of the longest in Europe. At the end of the wall is the Poolbeg Lighthouse, original built in 1767, one of the most distinctive landmarks in Dublin, its red colour serving as a navigation aid at the entrance to Dublin port.

After admiring the views of Dublin Bay, watching a few ships coming into harbour and encouraging the hopeful fishermen on the wall, we retraced our steps to Sandymount and some welcome refreshments in the Chophouse pub before training it back to Donabate after another enjoyable, and educational, walk done.

If you are interested in joining the Peninsula Pacers please call Breda on 086 8693243, or Carolyn on 087-9284307.

LSA proudly hosted the third edition of our Four Mile Peninsula Road Race on the 26th May. Over 400 adults took on the scenic route along the Broadmeadow estuary, Corballis and Balcarrick to the finish line on the Donabate Distributor Road. Our shorter kids races attracted over 100 young people. A course record was set in the Men’s race. Local Donabate resident David Rooney finished in a time of 20 mins 15 seconds, taking a huge 34 seconds off the previous men’s record.

Sincere thanks to our fantastic club members who volunteered to organise and help out on the day. Thanks to our main sponsor Glenveagh Homes and also Diesel Clothing for their invaluable support. Fingal County Council provided great support and help as always.

In other club news, we were very excited to see athlete Sineád Farrell don the green vest to join the Irish team in the European Off-Road Running Championships in Annecy, France. Sinead competed in two challenging Under 20 off-road races, with impressive performances in heavy rain and difficult terrain in the French Alps.

Sineád now joins Anna Gavigan (Discus) as the second LSA Under 20 athlete to have been selected for International representation at a European Championship.

Meanwhile closer to home, we had a great day at the graduation of our latest Couch to 5k group. Some of our graduates then went straight on to run the Women’s Mini Marathon and even take on Hell and Back!

Our Juvenile athletes have been taking part in the Dublin Championships in May and June. We’ve been delighted to see first-time participants taking on the challenge and many athletes achieving Personal Bests. It was our most successful Dublin Championships with a host of medals, a total of nine athletes qualifying for National finals and two athletes, Sinead Farrell (U19 3000m) and Cara Davison (U14 Discus) crowned Dublin Champion.

We look forward to seeing many of our young athletes at our summer camp in July. For everyone else training resumes at the end of the summer.

As many members were away, Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed took a break in June from its Thursday get-togethers and the weekly exercise classes. Nevertheless, it was still a busy month for them. Tuesday mornings saw continued interest in croquet at Newbridge and of course the plots at Turvey Allotments still needed work. There were also a few special events.

As part of International Men’s Health Week, the Fingal branches of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association, including Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed, organised a walking get-together in Newbridge Demesne on Wednesday 12th June. This was well-attended and enjoyable, with participants taking on different length walks to suit their different fitness levels.

In early June, members of Donabate Portrane Men’s Shed had a guided tour of 14 Henrietta Street, learning about Dublin social history as told through the lives of the house’s past residents from some of Dublin’s wealthiest families to people living in one of Europe’s most deprived slums – a fascinating story of contrasting lives.

Gerry & the Plonkers, the Men’s Shed music group, was busy last month with a concert for residents in St. Ita’s Hospital in early June and being delighted to help out with Donabate Sea Scouts fund-raising event later in the month.

To join us, please contact our PRO, Jim, on 086-3694316.

Dear Resident,

I wish to take this initial opportunity of sincerely thanking each and every person and particularly the people of Donabate and Portrane for voting for me in such huge numbers on Friday 7th June last. As an unelected Local Area Representative for Donabate over the past 5 Years I received many comments to the effect that “I Had No Mandate”. I have received your mandate which I will always respect and have regard to.

I wish to thank the public for the courtesy shown to me and my canvassers during the campaign. I am extremely humbled and overwhelmed by the hundreds of messages of support received over the last few days. I want to thank my good friends Duncan Smith TD & Cllr Robert O’Donoghue for their support & assistance over the last 5 years, Sean, Francis and Brendan Ryan, Tony McDermott, Tommie O’Sullivan, my family, friends and many neighbours who encouraged and supported me every step of the way. I want to also remember the late Cllr Gerry McGuire who I have no doubt would be so pleased with this result. It has been said to me that I am the first woman from the peninsula ever elected to FCC since it was established in 1994 which if true makes this such an important milestone for me personally and for our community.

I wish to congratulate Cllrs Rob O’Donoghue, Paul Mulville, Cathal Boland and Eoghan Dockrell on their election. I look forward to working with you all. My Commiserations to all defeated candidates as I am aware of what you must be feeling as I went through this process 5 years ago.

As Your Councillor you can be assured that I will endeavour to implement policies that are in the best interest of our expanding communities. I intend to pursue a number of issues including the provision of a much-needed multifunctional Arts Youth and Cultural centre for our growing community. I look forward to working on your behalf as your elected Cllr. Please feel free to contact me on any issue.
Councillor Corina Johnston
Labour Party

Bhí ard oíche i gCumann Gailf Baile an Bhéibhearaigh, le déanaí ag Tráth na gCeist bliantúil Gaelscoil na Mara. Eagraithe ag coiste tuistí, Cairde na Scoile, chun airgead a bháiliú ar son na scoile. Ba mhaith leis an gCoiste buíochas a ghabháil le gach duine a thug tacaíocht don feachtas báiliú airgid, a cheannaigh ticéidí don chrannchur, a tháinig go dtí an tráth na gceist agus dos na gnó aitúil a rinne urraíocht ar duaiseanna álainn don chrannchur. Buíochas le Cumann Gailf Baile an Bhéibhearaigh freisin as an bhfáiltiú a thugadar dúinn.

Is pobal beag bríomhar sinn i nGaelscoil na Mara agus táimid ag dul ó neart go neart. Tá tacaíocht phobail an leithinis an-tábhachtach dúinn agus muid ag fás, ár mbuíochas libh.

The parents association of Gaelscoil na Mara, Donabate would like to thank the local community for their support in hosting a hugely successful Fundraiser Table Quiz held in Beaverstown Golf Club on May 10th. Gaelscoil na Mara has a small but thriving school community, with dedicated, enthusiastic teachers and parents who strive to support and encourage their children’s education through the Irish Medium.
It’s important to have these annual fundraisers to help the school and bring the school and local community together. Maith sibh, to all the table quiz participants.

We hope that the Table Quiz will become an annual event and we look forward to welcoming you again.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the various local businesses who sponsored prizes for our raffle, including: Lynders Mobile Home Park; Supervalu Donabate; Tesco Distribution Centre, Turvey; Stephen Hand; Páirc an Chrócaigh; Triangle Coffee Co; Life Pharmacy; Country Crest Farm Shop;; Jones Garden Centre; Newbridge House & Farm; The Sea Sauna; Good Vibrations Yoga & Sound; Beaverstown Golf Club; Moss Actuarial Ltd.